Separation Anxiety and Children

What Do You Know About Separation Anxiety?

October 12, 2009

Separation anxiety takes a toll on parents and their children. Working moms and dads hate to leave a child in distress, while stay-at-home moms and dads can't even go into the next room without bringing on the waterworks. Luckily for most wee ones the fear of being apart from their parents is temporary, and seems to disappear just as quickly as it came. Take the quiz to see how much you know about separation anxiety.

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7 Comments

gamestomper 6 3 years 30 weeks

1/5, :facesmack: i'm always changing from the right answer to the wrong one.

3 years 32 weeks

I'm 17 years old now but experienced seperation anxiety from a very young age to about 11 years old. It was very severe, and develped into a panic disorder. Anonymous 9:02, you've definitely never had a child with severe seperation anxiety. It's not something a parent can just fix by leaving their child. And it's not that the child is doing it for attention or to be a pain in the ass. It's a serious psychological condition

3 years 32 weeks

Latinav, I went through the same thing. I think it says a lot that your son is ok when you leave him at the sitters: he gets that you have to go to work, he also understands that you take him to the sitter's regularly, he knows the deal, and he knows you always come back to him. No big deal. The rest of the time, you cannot get a minute to pee alone, right? What is he telling you? I think he's saying, mommy, are you kidding me? This is our time together and you are leaving me? This is OUR time, let's stay together! When this happened with my son I respected his need (for 24/7 stuck on you contact). It was hard, I gave up me time, gym time and dinner w friends a couple of times. I think what my son heard was: yes, our time together is important to me too. I will be here with you for as long as you need me. That made him feel secure. And after while (I won't lie, after a couple of months) he grew out of it. He is much more independent now. I come and go very freely and he is happy to wave bye bye and happy to yell Mamá! when I come back. It's just a bit of a sacrifice and a lot of patience, I find. Good luck!!

JoneyStar 3 years 32 weeks

anonymous @ 9:02 am I have a friend who has separation anxiety with her children. She's a stay at home mom. And its not the kids, its her. LOL. And I don't like her children. And I have a child. I just wish sometimes she would stop dragging her kids everywhere so that we can have girl time without the kids. But her husband is a punk so. There you go.

JoneyStar 3 years 32 weeks

4 out of 5 / 80% I just answered according to my son. He was about 12 to 18 months when he started having separation anxiety. At first when we left for date night usually, he didn't care. But as he got older he began to chase us to the door and cry and tug. Then when we came back he was always right at the door waiting. He's way better now because he is always with his grandparents when we leave. So he is comfortable because he's in a familiar place everytime. But he also has preference. When I leave he's upset. When daddy leaves he's like 'okay bye'.

3 years 32 weeks

OK, I am sorry, but if youa re a stay at home parent and your kid cries if you even leave their sight to go into another room, then you have major issues. kids need to learn to self soothe, self entertain and be independent. no wonder people without kids hate their friends who have kids b/c they start dragging the kid everywhere since they can't be separated. get a life.

latinav 3 years 32 weeks

My son is going through this.. any tips on how to help him get over it? I am not a stay at home mom and he's ok when i drop him off at the sitters but once i get home i can't leave his sight. I can't even leave him at the day care at the gym .

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